Layer, Illustration Friday

"Man - despite his artistic pretensions, his sophistication, and his many accomplishments - owes his existence to a six inch layer of topsoil and the fact that it rains." ~Author Unknown

Much of the country would be grateful for a string of warm sunny days such as those we've enjoyed recently in southern California. Besides providing the obvious distractions, the sameness can get a little too predictable. A recent trip through the desert between cloudbursts, as the spring wildflowers awaken provided just enough visual stimulation to shake the mental cobwebs loose. Beneath layers of sleeping brain cells which sometimes seem to occupy areas of space as vast and arid as the desert, small seeds of ideas wait to be unearthed, even sporadically and unexpected.

Sweater, Illustration Friday

“Sweater, n.: garment worn by child when its mother is feeling chilly.” ~ Ambrose Bierce

This week, my mind wanders to a famous cardigan worn by a man whose mother made sure he was always warm. With all due respect, I imagine that Mr. Rogers wouldn't mind if I put hearts on the sleeves of his sweater for Valentine's Day. Besides, in his characteristically kind and gentle manner, he told all of us kids it was okay to pretend in the Neighborhood of Make Believe!
Happy Valentine's Day to all!

Reverse, Illustration Friday

Sometimes a girl just doesn't know which way to go as the deadline for Illustration Friday approaches. So Neil, an alien, zipped down from outer space to deliver a reverse message.
Thank goodness for palindromes, mirrors and people with eyes in the backs of their heads, maybe?
One step back, and we'll all be moving forward from here!

Surrender, Illustration Friday

I surrender! Here's a quickie for this week's prompt, inspired by Valentine's Day and with a nod to all the tattoos and other forms of body art out there.
I must confess, I've never surrendered a square inch of my own flesh to ink or piercings, having already sacrificed tiny pieces of myself to the roads, sidewalks and other undisclosed locations where my much younger self used to skate around on (or off, as it were) urethane wheels.
Whether it's a sweet valentine, a kid rolling down the road on wheels, or a bold statement in body ink, each offers a form of expression as individual as its origin. Surrender yourself to an expressive week!

Dusty, Illustration Friday

Reaching back, way back, to an unfinished project to post this week for IF. Beneath a dusty stack of files, a watercolor concept takes on a new life as a reminder that it's almost time for a little spring cleaning!

Chicken, Illustration Friday

Here's a chicken that never flew the coop, never got to cross the road, and still has no offspring to count before they hatch. She's loosely based on a concept for a figurine that never really got past the "scratch" stage, until today, when I decide to give her wings a little color and a new attitude, to submit to Illustration Friday.
Nothing like running around at the last minute like a...well, you get the idea!

Who, Me?

Have you visited Heather over at Rose Hill Designs lately? In the midst of all the creating that's going on over there, she recently took some time to share this award with some stylish bloggers. Since she consistently puts together some pretty stylish posts, it was flattering to be included on her list.

And now by accepting this award, I am required to share seven things about me, which is probably going to blow away my "stylish" cover, but it's all in fun!

1. As a child, I did not like mushrooms, but you could say they "grew" on me, or at least often appeared in my food.
2. Native to southern California, I was born third out of five children.
3. I'm married and have one teenage son (still in the middle, here).
4. I enjoy visiting museums with my friends.
5. My favorite colors are "golden brown sugar" and "toasted marshmallow," colors that describe my two pups.
6. I can almost always make room for a little ice cream.
7. I might be happiest when I can get my hands "dirty," whether digging into the garden, artistic pursuits, or kitchen creations, but not necessarily in that order!

And now, it's my turn to pass this on to a list of fifteen bloggers with whom I've recently made an acquaintance. Check out these talented and stylish bloggers:

Mindful Drawing
Indigene Fine Art and Illustration
Charlo Arwin
Original Small Format Art - Carolynn McDade
Linda_Hensley
GasBombGirl
Rue De Toot
Providential Egg
Posh Also Makes Stuff
Abby Normal
oloratrementina
Vilt og vakkert
My Picture Garden
wendy w. lee blog
Jasmine Wall Illustration Blog

Hope you enjoy visiting their blogs, too!